Raves for our First Clinic (Worcester, Ma., August 10)

"I thought the program was phenomenal. It was logical, backed by science and overall in the best interest of the kids, which is what we're all about as coaches."

–Joe Beveridge, head coach, Tantasqua High, Fiskdale, Ma.

"Very good, a very worthwhile experience. We learned new ways to practice, new drills to do. I thought the panel of Dr. Cantu, Buddy Teevens, Coach Ditka and Chris Berman was fantastic."

–Jim Pisegna, Burncoat High, Worcester, Ma.

"I thought the program was excellent. This is the way football is going. Particularly, the drills from Stanford and Dartmouth can be shown to high school coaches to get this done faster."

–Steve Dembowski, head coach, Swampscott (Ma.) High

"Terry, I listened to you speak in Canton, Ohio, and also attended the meeting in Worcester. It has revived me as a coach. I have totally bought into the words of Dr. Cantu, Coach Ditka, Coach Teevens and yourself. We need people to understand that football is evolving into a safer game. It is a sacred game that can provide an amazing number of opportunities to the young men who play it."

–Eric Cumba, head coach, St. Thomas Aquinas High, Dover, N.H.

"...just absolutely awesome."

–Jim Kelleher, head coach, Abington (Ma.) High

"...really exciting. Some of the video footage we can show the kids will help keep them safe."

–Doug Orland, assistant coach, Campbell High, Litchfield, N.H.

"I have watched the video, very much enjoyed it and found it helpful. We have been heading toward this as a sport for years, and we want to be on the cutting edge, ahead of the curve. We will be implementing this ASAP."

–John Bowen, head coach, Hephzibah (Ga.) High

"I want to try to get out the message about Practice Like Pros. I've said all the time down here there's too much, too much tackling, physical contact at practice. Let's come together and do something here in Atlanta."

–Glenn Ford Jr., i-dareU football training, off-season coach of DeAntre Turman, high school player who died on a suburban Atlanta practice field, August 16, 2013

"Terry, I thought it was very good, truly a professional presentation. Your introduction leading to the coaches' talks was excellent. It grabbed your attention right away. The coaches were also excellent!! I believe it will be very well received wherever it is viewed and on every level. We must all face the fact that the game must be made safer. As a former head coach, I often wonder how many wins I left on the practice field by over-emphasizing technique, tempo and toughness."

–Dick Vermeil

Mission

In high school football, 60% to 75% of head trauma occurs in practice, not in games.*In the NFL, that number is 3%.**

Our mission is to advocate change in high school football.These are the five pillars of Practice Like Pros . . . .

Convert youth leagues to flag football. No contact football earlier than 9th grade.

The movement escalated to an April 29 meeting at the NFL offices in New York City with the Commissioner. He urged O'Neil to explore the topic, collect data and opinion, and invited him to appear at the NFL's Youth Football Summit in July in Canton, Ohio. Commissioner Goodell finished the meeting by saying, "We'll support you."

On May 17, O'Neil met in Boston with Dr. Robert Cantu and Chris Nowinski, co-founders in 2007 of the Sports Legacy Institute, whose mission is to advance the study, treatment and prevention of brain trauma among athletes. Dr. Cantu and Nowinski promptly offered SLI's endorsement.

The movement's first pilot clinic, attended by coaches and administrators from all six New England states, was staged August 10, 2013, in Worcester, Ma.

In June, Practice Like Pros, Inc., was incorporated as a Connecticut-based, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. That filing allowed the company to solicit initial funding.

About Our Founder

Terry O'Neil

16-time Emmy Award winner

Producer, ABC’s Monday Night Football, 1980

Executive Producer, CBS Sports, 1981–86

Creator/Executive Producer, The Sports Reporters for ESPN, 1988

Executive Producer, NBC Sports, 1989–93

Executive Producer, Olympic Games, Barcelona NBC, 1992

Executive Producer, Special Events, ABC News, 1994–96

Executive, New Orleans Saints, 1997–99

Creator/CEO, RealTeam.com, 2000–2002

Creator/Executive Producer, Thin Ice for ABC Entertainment, 2008–10

CEO, O’Neil Productions/O’Neil Entertainment, 1981–present

Founder, Practice Like Pros, 2013

Education:

B.A., English, University of Notre Dame ’71M.S.J., Pulitzer School of Journalism, Columbia University ’74

Contact Terry O'Neil

Full Name

Email Address

Message

Donate

Thank you for considering a donation to Practice Like Pros. For all of us who love the game, player safety is suddenly the foremost issue. And there is no level of the game that demands more urgent attention than high school football, played by 1.1 million American boys. Practice Like Pros is an opportunity to make a difference, to engage in a movement bigger than our individual selves.

Practice Like Pros, Inc., is incorporated in Connecticut and registered with the IRS as a501(c)(3) charity. As such, your donation is 100% tax-deductible. Mailing address: